Blackas by A. Igoni Barrett

A young Nigerian wakes up to discover that, with the exception of his ass, which remains black, he’s a red-headed white man. That is the sole reason I picked up this book and it did not let me down. His story is one of identity, figuring out a new self in an old world, and realizing that while the landscape may change, the players don’t always follow suit. Lagos comes alive in rich detail, a fleshed out character in its own right. —Rachel